Lisa Niemi Swayze (born May 26, 1956),[1] also known by her stage name, Lisa Niemi, is an American writer, director, actress and dancer. She is the widow of actor, singer, and dancer Patrick Swayze. They were married for 34 years, from 1975 until his death in 2009.

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Early life[edit]

Lisa Haapaniemi was born in Houston, Texas, the only daughter of six children born to Edmond Haapaniemi, then Director of Water Safety Services at the Red Cross, and registered nurse Karin Haapaniemi[2] Niemi has said her mother and her mother's profession were her inspiration and encouragement.[3] She graduated from the Houston Ballet Dance Company in 1974.[4] She shortened her surname from Haapaniemi to just Niemi in 1977 for her theatre stage name.[5]

Career[edit]

Films[edit]

Niemi Swayze wrote, directed and starred in the 2003 film One Last Dance alongside Swayze.[6][7]One Last Dance was based on Without a Word, a successful play written 18 years before which had won six Drama Critics Awards. Niemi said, "It was basically based on our experiences as concert dancers in New York, and it affected people a lot."[8]

Television[edit]

Niemi co-starred as Carla Frost in 23 episodes of the TV series Super Force from 1990 to 1991.[11][12][13] She once again directed her husband, this time in an episode of his TV series The Beast. The episode, titled "My Brother's Keeper", aired on April 9, 2009. It was his last performance before his death.

Books[edit]

On September 29, 2009, Niemi Swayze released a memoir, The Time of My Life (ISBN 9781439158586), which became a New York Times Best Seller, and had been co-written by Patrick Swayze, and was finished just shortly before his death.[14][15] On January 2, 2012, Niemi Swayze released her New York Time Best Selling memoir, "Worth Fighting For."

Personal life[edit]

At the Houston Ballet Dance Company, Niemi met the owner and director's son, Patrick Swayze; the two eventually began dating when she was 15 years old. Niemi and Swayze were married from June 12, 1975[16][17] until Swayze's death from pancreatic cancer on September 14, 2009. Shortly after they wed, the couple moved to New York City to pursue their dance careers until the late 1970s, when they relocated to Los Angeles, California. In addition to dancing and filmmaking, they ran a construction business and raised horses together.[18][19] The Swayzes had no children.[20]

She is a licensed pilot and flew Swayze to the cancer treatments prior to his death.[16] While filming One Last Dance in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Niemi was made an honorary citizen of the Canadian city.[22] After her husband's death, she became the Chief Ambassador of Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. In July 2011, she was honored with the title of dame and invested in the Royal Order of Francis I[citation needed]. On December 28, 2013, it was announced that she was engaged to Albert DePrisco, a jeweller.[23] On May 25, 2014, Lisa and Albert were married.[24]